SHRI AMARNATH JI CHARTER

• Passengers have to mandatorily follow the government prescribed measures in regards to COVID-19.

• Covid negative report is required to enter Jammu & Kashmir.

• Passengers will be provided PPE gowns/kits, masks & sanitizers by our crew before boarding their respective flights.

• Passengers should ensure social distancing with other pilgrims at the time of darshan.

• Wearing a mask is compulsory to board the helicopter and must be worn at all times.

• Post-flight our helicopters are sanitized and fumigated for the safe flying of our passengers.

• Flying in hills is subject to weather conditions. And in regard to our Amarnath operations, we would like to bring to your kind attention that flight cancellations & other inconveniences due to weather are very much likely since weather is extremely unpredictable in the hills.

• Passengers should come prepared to face the eventualities which can arise by bad weather/force majeure problems.

• Force Majeure situations include cases of bad weather, low visibility for flying, delayed Air Traffic Clearances/Permissions, VVIP movements, valley flying by Indian Air Force (NOTAM), sudden occurrence of technical snag in aircraft, illness of flying crew or late reporting of the guests at the helipads, among others.

• Further please note, in case of bad weather/force majeure situation, we will operate as per our policies mentioned in the ‘Terms & Conditions’ & ‘Important Guidelines & Policies’ sections.

We operate Airbus AS350 B3 single engine helicopters. This helicopter is known for its high-altitude performance. The helicopter can seat a total of 6 passengers, maximum total weight permissible is 450 kgs.

Only one handbag weighing a maximum of 5kgs is allowed per passenger.

Q.1: What will happen incase of bad weather?
Ans : Passengers will be refunded as per Cancellation policy.

Q.2: How much time will I get for darshan?
Ans : Pilgrims will be given 2 hours for the darshan.

Q.3: Which telephone networks work?
Only post-paid mobile numbers work in Jammu & Kashmir. At Neelgrath, most mobile networks like Airtel, Vodafone, Jio and BSNL work. However, data services may or may not work. At Lower-cave helipad, only BSNL network works and data services do not work. In case you are lost or lose any of your group member, there is a Public Announcement (PA) system.

Q.4: Will we be escorted throughout our Darshan?
Ans: You will never walk alone; you will always be escorted by our crew throughout your yatra.

Q.5: What is the distance of shrine from Lower-cave helipad?
Ans: It is at a distance of only 500 metres approx.

Q.6: When do the Yatra and booking start?
Ans: Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra commences every year depending upon the declaration of dates done by Shri Amarnath Ji Shrine Board, which is generally done in the month of February/March.

Bookings are open for every year after the announcement of yatra dates.

Chances of flight cancellation due to bad weather are common during monsoon. All passengers are strongly advised to be prepared in case you get stuck at Lower-cave helipad due to bad weather. These items are essential as the climate is highly unpredictable and changes abruptly from sunny weather to rain and snow. The temperature can sometimes abruptly fall to 5 degrees Celsius or lower.

1. Trousers (preferably waterproof).

2. Adequate woollen clothing and spare clothes.

3. Small umbrella, raincoat, wind cheater and a torch.

4. Waterproof trekking shoes, warm cap and gloves.

The Holy Cave of Shri Amarnath ji is situated at an altitude of 13,500 feet atop the South Kashmir Himalayas. The high-altitude journey to the holy Cave involves exposure to extreme cold, low humidity, increased ultra violet radiations and reduced air pressure and oxygen.

Since you will only be there for one day, the body may not get enough time to acclimatize and adjust to the low oxygen levels, therefore you must not exert yourself. Go slow and always catch your breath. For your journey to the holy cave and back, it is highly recommended that you do not trek and instead use a Horse or Palki.

If anyone exerts themselves too much too quickly, depending on individual fitness levels, some of the common high-altitude sicknesses and their symptoms are listed below:

( 1 ) Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS): AMS is the most common form of mountain sickness and may occur after you ascend to altitudes above 2500 m.
Symptoms: Breathing problems, headache, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, weakness, dizziness and difficulty in sleeping.

( 2 ) High Altitude Cerebral Edema (HACE): HACE is a severe form of AMS and occurs due to swelling of the brain tissue which may eventually impair the brain. The illness often manifests itself at night and may result in coma/ death within hours.
Symptoms: Breathing problems, headache, fatigue, visual impairment, bladder dysfunction, bowel dysfunction, disorientation and partial paralysis.

( 3 ) High Altitude Pulmonary Edema (HAPE): HAPE results in respiratory failure due to accumulation of fluid in the lungs. HAPE manifests itself at night (typically the second night of climbing in high altitude areas), progresses rapidly and may lead to fatality within hours.
Symptoms: Shortness of breath even when resting, persistent dry cough, bright red stained sputum, weakness, fatigue, drowsiness, chest tightness, congestion and increased heart rate. Younger people are held to be more susceptible to this ailment as, in exuberance, they are inclined to over exert while trekking.

Do’s

• Take Palkis/Horses instead of trekking to avoid high altitude sickness.

• Take short breaks to catch your breath when tired.

• Saree is NOT a suitable dress for the Yatra. Salwar Kameez, pant-shirt or a track suit will be better. Ladies who are more than 6 week pregnant shall not be allowed to undertake the pilgrimage.

• Keep spare clothes and eatables in a suitable water proof bag.

• Carry some cold cream/Vaseline/sunscreen to protect your hands /face against sunburn etc.

• Keep in your pocket your yatra Permit or any other identity card, incase of an emergency.

Don’ts

• Don’t stop at places which are marked by warning notices.

• Don’t exert yourself too much and get out of breath.

• Don’t ignore any symptoms such as extreme tiredness, headache, nausea, loss of appetite or vomiting.

• Don’t use slippers. Only wear trekking / sports shoes with laces.

• Don’t attempt any short cuts on the route as doing so would be dangerous.

• Don’t trek alone. Always stay together as a group. Your mobile network may not work

• In respect of COVID-19, all necessary measures issued by the State & Central Governments would have to be adhered by the passengers. The measures shall be confirmed by HHSPL to the passengers 02-03 weeks prior to the date of arrival. Without adhering to the prescribed measures/requirements, boarding would be denied without any refunds.

• The mentioned charter cost is valid subject to strict compliance of the above sector. Any alteration in plan will be extra chargeable over and above the above quote.

• The above-mentioned flying timings are not final. Timings may differ on your date of travel, depending up on, your arrival at Srinagar Airport & the take-off time from Srinagar, which depends on weather conditions, clearance from Air Force & Civil Aviation, VVIP movements, flying by Indian Air Force (NOTAM), sudden occurrence of technical snag in helicopter, illness of flying crew or delayed reporting of the guests at the helipads.

• Guests have to MANDATORILY submit their correct weights at the time of booking. The reason for the same is that, we operate at very high-altitude terrain where the weight carrying capacity of the aircraft is only 450kg. If any change in weight found at the time of their travel, from the submitted weights, which may lead to exceeding of our aircraft weight carrying capacity, guest(s) would be deboarded & cancelled for the charter, without any refund.

• Weighing at the time of boarding the helicopter is a must, since the HHSPL shall not allow boarding in case the total weight exceeds the weight limitation of the helicopter. And, due to the same reason, in case of more than 01 available aircraft, HHSPL reserve the right to shuffle passengers between helicopters to manage the right weight of helicopters for safe flying in the hills. Therefore, passengers travelling together might not be accommodated in the same helicopter flight.

• Passengers would be taken on board depending on load and temperature conditions. Pilot's call will be final. Hence, passengers are advised to provide their exact weights at the time of booking and carry luggage within the permissible limit.

• Passengers will be picked up from Srinagar airport depending upon the arrival of their flights. Passengers are advised to arrive at Srinagar by 1000 Hrs at the latest, in order to comfortably finish the darshan & return same day.

• Last ETD from Lower-Cave helipad will be 1530 Hrs (in case passengers are travelling by scheduled airlines) to Srinagar Airport. If ETD is further delayed, the chances of missing the return flight from Srinagar Airport is high.It is advisable to depart from Lower Cave helipad by 1530 Hrs at the latest.

• Cut-off time of our flight from Srinagar airport to Lower Cave helipad for the passengers who would be doing night halt at Amarnath is 1530 Hrs.

• After reaching Srinagar Airport, the charter shall conclude. Guests can be dropped by us to their hotel in Srinagar (if doing night halt), in case hotel transfer has been arranged through HHSPL. NOTE: In case Night Halt is requested by the guests, it can be arranged by HHSPL at an additional cost.

• In case flight is getting delayed due to NOTAM/delayed clearances/bad weather etc., HHSPL shall convey to the guests in advance.

• Mentioned flight shall depend upon weather/wind/fog/visibility conditions and flight schedules are subject to change/divert due to weather conditions, flight safety and operational restrictions.

• Confirmation of the flight is subject to availability of machines and government permissions, and booking can be confirmed only after the receipt of 100% advance payment. All the required landing and other necessary permissions from local administration is the responsibility of Himalayan Heli Services.

• AADHAR & PAN Card copies are to be shared mandatorily by all Indians, & passport is required in case of foreign nationals.

• There is very limited space for luggage in the chopper, only 5 kg luggage per passenger will be permitted. Passengers bringing any excess baggage would not be allowed to take the same in the chopper.

• Passengers can carry only one handbag each, as suitcases cannot be kept in the helicopter.

• Passengers should be aware of the chances of high-altitude sickness. Hiring of Palki/Pony during the darshan is advisable, in order to avoid any strenuous activity.

• Passengers are advised to carry jackets with them.

• Hotel stay and meals are not included in the package. It can be arranged by HHSPL on additional charges.

• Any donations, tips, pitthu and porter charges shall be borne by the guests.

• Flying in hills is subject to weather conditions. And, in regards to our Charter operations, we would like to bring to your kind attention that cancellations & other inconveniences due to weather are very much likely since weather is extremely unpredictable in the hills. Therefore, guests should come prepared to face the eventualities caused by weather problems. Further please note, in case of bad weather, we shall operate as per our policies mentioned in the ‘Terms & Conditions’ & ‘Important Guidelines & Policies’ sections.

Our Heli Tours are not available for the following VIP’s:
- Speaker Lok Sabha
- Dy. Chairperson Rajya Sabha
- Central Ministers of Cabinet Rank
- C J I Supreme Court
- Governors of State
- Chief Ministers of State
- State Ministers of Cabinet Rank
- SPG Protectees – Z category only.

• HHSPL reserves the right to postpone the timings of flying, which is subject to weather conditions, & any extra night stay cost in case of bad weather will be borne by the client.

• Flying in hills are subject to many factors like delayed clearances from Air Force & Civil Aviation, VVIP movements, valley flying by Indian Air Force (NOTAM), bad weather, sudden occurrence of technical snag in helicopter, illness flying crew or late reporting of the guests at the helipads.

• HHSPL reserves the right to cancel passengers, who are unruly, abusive, intoxicated, sick, mentally unbalanced or anyone else whom we deem to be unfit/unsafe to fly. No refund shall be issued to such passengers.

• In case of charter getting cancelled due to bad weather on the date of travel of the guests, the booking will not be revalidated for the next day. Refund as per the refunds/cancellations policy shall be done to the clients, with no further obligation of HHSPL whatsoever. Any kind of inconvenience caused because of cancellation of flights is beyond the control of the operator. No compensation, reimbursement or arrangements shall be offered in the event of cancellation of a flight.

• HHSPL shall not be liable for any medical emergency on the ground to the party. Therefore, in your own interest, guests are hereby advised to kindly consult a doctor and get medical check-up done, before commencing the yatra. Medical check-up is mainly required if a guest has any medical suffering/condition.

• Guests are required to pay the 100% amount before the commencement of charter. Passengers would not be allowed to board or commence the tour, without paying the full and final payable amount.

• In case the flight being operated has Foreign national(s)/NRIs on board, a minimum 07 working days prior notice is mandatory in order to obtain the AOR clearance. Flight can not be operated if notice is given less than the mentioned period.

• In case of extension to the scheduled program leading to crew layover, hiring party will make suitable arrangements for boarding, lodging & local transport at a 5-star level category or Himalayan Heli Services will make the necessary arrangements on additional price.

• Carriage of dangerous goods/articles is not permitted. Restricted articles include, but are not limited to, compressed gases/corrosives/explosives/flammable liquids/solid/radio-active materials/infectious substances and briefcases with installed alarm devices.

CARRIAGE BY AIR ACT, 1972
The carriage is subject to Himalayan Heli Services regulations relating to the conditions of Non-International Carriage (Passenger and Baggage) framed in accordance with The Carriage by Air Act, 1972 and Notification regarding application of the carriage which is non-international. The liability of the company for damage sustained in the event of the death or wounding of a passenger or any other bodily injury suffered by passenger or by his registered baggage during the course of carriage by air will be governed by the provisions of sections 4,5,6 and the rules contained in the second Schedule of Carriage by Air Act 1972 with certain exceptions, adaptations, modifications, etc as notified in the Govt. of India, Ministry of Civil Aviation Notification and as amended from time to time.

NO AERIAL PHOTOPGRAPHY
Aerial Photography from Helicopter is illegal and punishable by law and photography at the helipad is strictly prohibited.

INFANTS 
Infant below 2 years/12kg are carried free of charge. In case of verification of age, ID proof/birth certificate of the child shall be checked.

BAGGAGE ALLOWANCE
Only one handbag weighing a maximum of 5 kgs is allowed per passenger.

HELICOPTER WEIGHT LIMTATION
Passengers would be taken on board depending up on the load and temperature conditions. Pilots call will be final. Maximum weight capacity of the helicopter is 450 kg (excluding baggage weight) at these destinations. All passengers on board must be within this limit. Hence, passengers are advised to provide us their exact weights at the time of booking and carry baggage within the permissible limit.

SEATING CAPACITY
The maximum seating capacity for our helicopters is 06 passengers + 01 Crew.

DISPUTES
Disputes as to legality, interpretation, application, or performance of service or any of its terms and conditions shall be governed by the laws of Delhi Jurisdiction.

PAYMENT TERMS
The booking has to be done in advance with a deposit of 50% of the charter amount. Full amount has to be deposited 14 days prior to date of travel.

RESCHEDULING OF BOOKING
Rescheduling your travel date to any future or prior date, will be done subject to availability and on payment of 10% of the total charter. This will be permitted only if informed at least 07 days before arrival date. In case the rescheduling is requested in less than 07 days prior to the arrival, then the booking would be treated as cancelled and a fresh booking will be given subject to availability.

REFUND POLICY:
If passengers wish to cancel their booking, following refund policy shall be applicable –
- 25% of the total charter cost will be levied if the flight is cancelled any time after blocking of the aircraft till 48 hours of the scheduled departure.
- 50% of the total charter cost will be levied if the flight is cancelled within 48 to 24 hrs of the scheduled departure.
- 100 % of the total charter cost will be levied if the flight is cancelled within 24 hrs of the scheduled departure.
- No show – No Refund.
- Cancellations after commencement of tour – No Refund.

• In case of cancellation of one-way sector due to technical/force majeure reasons, proportionate charter cost shall be refunded. Please note, Shrine board royalty shall remain chargeable as applicable on the full charter cost. And any additional services & flight preparation charges will be chargeable too.

BAD WEATHER/FORCE MAJEURE SITUATIONS POLICY:
- In case Yatra gets cancelled/disturbed due to any force majeure, guests will be provided Credit Voucher from HHSPL for the advance paid, which will be valid for one year from the initial date of travel. Please note, advance once paid will not be refunded, but it can be utilised in the next one year against our helicopter tours/ charter services by availing the mentioned credit voucher.
- Refund applicable, if the entire charter gets cancelled on the flying date due to any force majeure, minus INR 10,000 towards flight preparation charges and other additional charges for any added services by guests (if any).
- Where bad weather, technical snags or any force majeure reason beyond Himalayan Heli Services’ control results in the cancellation of your flight being delayed or cancelled, Himalayan Heli Services will not be liable in any way for the cancelled or delayed flight. However, refund will be given to clients as per our refunds policy. Any kind of inconvenience caused because of cancellation of flights is beyond the control of the operator. No compensation or reimbursement for accommodation, transportation, meals or any other travel expenses done by the guests shall be offered in the event of cancellation of a flight.
- After commencement of charter, if the aircraft has to return mid-way due to weather/force majeure conditions, guests will be charged for the flying time of the sector getting cancelled @ INR 90,000/hr plus GST, over & above the additional services rendered to the party.
- Our obligation toward this charter is up to the date of flying. Under no circumstance, HHSPL shall increase the charter duration/period for the guests, & since we have advance bookings, carry forward of booking to subsequent dates will not be possible. On the flying date, HHSPL shall try to complete the charter for the guests, subject to weather conditions and other operational barriers.
- HHSPL crew solely decides the planning of flights for the charter groups, since we may have to cater for multiple number of groups, in case of Bad weather/Force Majeure situation.
- No additional ferry flights shall be borne by HHSPL under any circumstance. If any passenger(s) require ferry flights to be operated for them in emergency on personal request, cost for the same shall be charged to the party @ INR 90,000/hr plus GST.
- In regards to the guests stranded at Sanjichhat, if any group requests to cancel their tour on their own desire and come down before their scheduled ETA/ETD no refunds shall be applicable for the cancelled sector.

• No refund is applicable, in case the client cancels the charter and wishes to return back to base after the commencement of flying.

• Bookings will be accepted, considering there is acceptance of the above-mentioned terms & conditions by the party.